


Common Writing Errors Found In Sherlock (TV) Fan Fiction

by Aubadie



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Typos, grammar, proofreading, punctuation, spelling, writing tips
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-07
Updated: 2014-08-12
Packaged: 2018-02-12 03:26:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2093949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aubadie/pseuds/Aubadie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Identifying the consistent writing errors found in Sherlock (TV) fan fiction. Intended as a reference for authors and a kind gesture to be helpful, not judgemental.  Will be updated as I come across more words.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Word choices**

1\. **Chocked** is frequently used instead of the intended **choked**. If you **chocked** something, you put a block of wood under it to stop it from moving. If you **choked** something you stopped it from breathing. **Choked** is usually the word you mean. 

2\. **Defiantly** is used instead of the intended **definitely**. If you **defiantly** do something you do it knowing it goes against the rules or what you have been told. If you **definitely** do something it means you do it completely or with complete certainty. **Definitely** behave **defiantly** if the rules tell you to kick puppies and push elderly people down the stairs. 

3\. **Quiet** is frequently used instead of **quite**. Remember that **quiet** rhymes with, and looks like, **diet** , whereas **quite** rhymes with, and looks like, **white**. So (don't) be quiet about your diet and quite a lot of unhealthy foods are white. 

 

**Punctuation**

When punctuating speech remember that each new speaker needs a new line. Every time. No exceptions. Even if there are only two characters talking to each other, each time the speaker is different a new line is needed. You don't necessarily need to use an identifying marker on each speech line, but a new line is absolutely needed to identify a new speaker. 

Example

"That was ridiculous," said John. "That was the most ridiculous thing I've ever done."

"You invaded Afghanistan." replied Sherlock.

"That wasn't just me," John quipped back. "Why aren't we back at the restaurant?"

"They can keep an eye out. It was a long shot anyway," Sherlock shrugged.

"So what were we doing there?"

"Oh, just passing the time. And proving a point."

"What point?" John asked, looking baffled.

"You," said Sherlock, with the smug satisfaction of a man used to always being right.


	2. From the comments 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A collation of writing errors identified by commenters who left comments in response to Chapter 1.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has left a comment so far. It is quite marvellous to share this passion with so many readers and writers.

**Word Choices**

1\. **taut/taught: Taut** means something is very tense and tight. Sherlock's and John's muscles were **taut** as they climbed the rope that had been pulled **taut** so they could silently scale the side of the dilapidated building.  
 **Taught** is the past tense of teach. Mycroft **taught** Sherlock how to make amazing deductions. **Taught** resembles naughty, so it may help to think of wretchedly naughty schoolchildren refusing to be **taught**. Those revolting little brats were bound to make their poor teacher's shoulder muscles **taut** from frustration and tension.

2\. **its/it's: Its** is the only possessive that does not use an apostrophe. **It's** is a contraction of **it is**. Remember, **it's = it is** If you don't mean **it is** use **its.**

3\. **prostate/prostrate: Prostrate** means someone or something is lying flat, face down, usually in an act of submission or weakness. Sometimes a person or object can be forced into prostration. The Author sometimes feels the urge to **prostrate** herself at Mrs Hudson's feet in an act of sheer adoration.  
 **Prostate** refers to the male happy button. If you want to write about the joys of repeated stimulation to the male gland of pleasure, then **prostate** is the word to select. **Prostate** cancer is a serious disease that kills hundred of thousands of men each year across the world. If you have a male in your life aged forty years or over, please encourage him to get his **prostate** checked annually. 

4\. **sank/sunk: Sank** is the past tense form of sink. John's heart **sank** when realised just how hurt Mrs Hudson was that he had ignored her for so long. **Sunk** is the past participle of sink. That means sunk is to be used as part of a verbal phrase because it is a **part** iciple. Lestrade's face filled with dismay as his hopes for Anderson's career **were sunk** by the man's escalating obsession with Sherlock's survival. 

5\. **sandles/sandals: Sandles** gets the red squiggly underline from spellcheck for the simple reason that it isn't a real word. It certainly rhymes with handles, but the correct word is **sandals.** Sherlock would prefer to spontaneously combust than wear socks with **sandals** but he deduced that John would be open to perpetrating the sartorial crime. 

6\. **careen/career: Careen** means to sway or lurch about when moving. The Waters Gang's escape car **careened** down the road in an attempt to evade police capture after the bank robbery. **Careered** means to move about without control or restraint. The collision with the Waters Gang's escape car sent the police car **careering** into the shop window. 

**Misheard or misunderstood words and phrases**

1\. **I could care less**. To quote "Weird Al" Yankovic from Word Crimes: that means you do care, at least a little. The correct form is **I couldn't care less** because it means that you **could not** care any less about something. There is absolutely no caring. None. Because you **couldn't care less.**  
Correct: **I couldn't care less.**

2\. **For all intensive purposes**. Unless your purpose is really intense, the correct form is **for all intents and purposes**. **For all intents and purposes** means for all or any of the reason something is used, done, intended or conducted.  
Correct: **For all intents and purposes.**

3a. **Free reign**. Unless you picked up the country you now rule in a buy one get one free promotion, the correct form is **free rein. Free rein** comes from allowing a horse to run freely in its chosen direction without controlling it with the reins. There is no one in control or stopping the horse, so it has **free rein.**  
Correct: **Free rein.**

3b. **Reigning in** Unless you plan to follow **reigning in** with the name of the country you rule after picking it up for free, the correct form is **reining in. Reining in** comes from using reins to bring a horse under control and to limit or restrict where the horse can travel.  
Correct: **Reining in**

3c. **Free rain** Mother Nature does a marvellous job of providing free rain. Sure we pay for bottled water and taxes on water supply , but the actual rain falling from the sky does so without any fee. For something that has no limitations or restrictions, use **free rein**  
Correct: **Free rein.**

4\. **Relished in** This just makes me think of people sitting in a huge bathtub filled with pickles. To **relish** means to take great delight or pleasure in something. **Relish** does not need to be followed by in. Mycroft and Sherlock **relished** taking a quiet moment to smoke together at Christmas time, regardless of their stilted conversation and verbal sparring.  
 **Revel** does need to be followed by in. Mycroft and Sherlock **revelled in** taking a quiet moment to smoke together at Christmas time, regardless of their stilted conversation and verbal sparring.  
Correct: **Relish** or **Revel in**

****British English Word Choices** **

**pavement** : instead of sidewalk or footpath 

**flat** : instead of brownstone or apartment 

**milk** : instead of cream in tea. Black tea is served with milk and/or sugar never cream. 

I need to add the disclaimer that I am Australian, not British. I was raised on British television, have lived in the UK previously, have an Irish father from Belfast and I am very aware of a great number differences in word selection across the English speaking world. But I am not British myself. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I intend to write chapters on homophones, British English word choices, and commonly misheard words and phrases in the future. I will include items from the comments as well as other items identified by me in these chapters. My sincerest apologies if I left anything out from the comments. 
> 
> If you spot any errors in my own writing, please, let me know! I am always interested in improving my writing skills and there is still so much for me to learn.


	3. Addictive and Addicting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Addictive is a word I would like to see used more frequently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm writing this because I find the word addicting is a bit overused. I prefer addictive. You are not wrong if you use addicting.

**Addicting** is a legitimate adjectival participle in the same way that annoying, loving, caring and irritating function. However, **addictive** is an adjective that has served writers and readers for many years to portray the capacity something has to make one addicted. 

When I read **addicting** I consider it to be something that is currently in the process of happening. **Addictive** describes the nature or potential of something to cause addiction. 

Example: Mycroft could see that Victor Trevor was hell bent on addicting his little brother to heroin despite Mycroft's absolute best efforts to prevent it. Sherlock's desperate need to stem the endless deluge of information engulfing his mind left him piteously vulnerable to the **addictive** lure of both the drug and the escape it brought. The quiet was far more dangerous than the juice and would be harder for Sherlock to walk away from than the mere physical need. His desperation made him the perfect addict and Victor Trevor was almost disappointed in how readily Sherlock facilitated his own ruination. It was so easy, it had barely been sport. 

I'm certainly not saying that **addicting** should never be used, but **addictive** is an evocative adjective that has been rather neglected of late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really don't know much about Victor Trevor, but today, he's a nasty, manipulative man intent on turning Sherlock into a drug addict for his own nefarious purposes while Mycroft watches on in despair and Sherlock pretty much helps the process along with his underdeveloped coping skills.


	4. Breath or Breathe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quick guide to using breath and breathe appropriately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A large amount of the confusion surrounding breath and breathe comes from the verbal forms of breathing, breathes and breathed. The base verb is breathe so you drop the 'e' to add 'ing'. 
> 
> leave, leaves, leaving, leaver   
> breathe, breathes, breathing, breather

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Breath** and **breathe** are very frequently used interchangeably, but they do not mean the same thing. 

**Breath** is a noun. **Breath** rhymes with and looks like death. Remember that not taking a **breath** leads to death. You take in a big **breath** before diving underwater. 

Example: Sherlock held his **breath** in a weak attempt to prepare his body for the next torturous strike of the whip across his already bleeding back. On every strike, the **breath** was knocked out of him and he gulped air to manage the pain. With every **breath** his ribs screamed at him and he felt the torn skin on his back split even further. Eventually, the torture stopped when the sadist ran home to confront his philandering wife, and the remaining man in uniform stood before him. Sherlock tensed as he felt the menacing **breath** across his ear before almost buckling in relief upon the realisation that Mycroft had arrived to save him. As Sherlock turned to face his brother, Mycroft recoiled. Time on the run and seemingly endless torture had left Sherlock's **breath** stinking of blood, decay and suffering. 

**Breathe** is a verb. **Breathe** almost rhymes with and looks rather like leave. Remember if you don't **breathe** your soul will leave. When you panic, the best thing to do is just **breathe**. **Breathe** in. **Breathe** out. 

Example: John gasped in horror and could barely **breathe** as he realised Sherlock was preparing to jump. As Sherlock's body crumpled with a sickening thud John ran towards him only to be knocked over by a bicycle that forced him to **breathe** again as he hit the pavement. He made his way through the medics surrounding Sherlock frantically searching for a pulse and desperately hoping to see him **breathe** , even just a fraction. With the crushing realisation that his best friend and the man who had brought meaning back into his existence was dead, John's heart seized and it felt like he would never **breathe** again. The subsequent numbness and emptiness made John feel like it was impossible to **breathe** freely due to the ache in his very soul.


End file.
